Ninestar, Livzon, MTU, Hokai granted special honors

Several of Zhuhai's 1,478 High & New-Technology Enterprises have been recognized for strategic foresight, innovation capability, and exemplary performance. As of last year, the city ranked sixth in Guangdong Province in the number of HNTEs -- a year-on-year increase of nearly 88 percent.

The honors were granted at the 2017 FIT Guangdong Scientific Innovation Pioneer Competition, which was launched on May 12 in Guangzhou. The six-month event, now in its second year, sheds light on highly innovative enterprises. It also provides a financial channel to help commercialize new technologies.

Xiangzhou District-based Ninestar Corp, a global leader in printing and imaging products, won the Exemplary M&A Award. The company was the first of its kind listed on the A-shares market with partial funding from the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund. Its ambitious acquisition of Lexmark International, a renowned global laser printer manufacturer headquartered in Kentucky, USA, last year cost 24.8 billion yuan ($3.9 billion) and is considered a shining example of a properly done acquisition.

Ninestar, formerly Apex Technology, had turnover of 21.5 billion yuan ($3.4 billion) in 2017 and that is expected to increase significantly once the acquisition takes full effect. In order to shift focus to the high-end manufacture of high-value products, an investment of 9 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) will go toward new facilities in the Gaolan Port Economic Zone in Jinwan District under an agreement signed in April.

Zhu Baoguo, president of Livzon Pharmaceutical Group, was named an Innovation Star in recognition of outstanding leadership in boosting innovative capability. Relocated in 2016 from Gongbei to the biomedical cluster in Jinwan District, the top pharmaceutical company engages in in-vitro diagnostic reagents and devices. The market-favored Ilaprazole Sodium for Injection product won First Class Prize in Guangdong Province Technological Advancement in 2013, after ten years of research.

Livzon's recent increase in R&D, which exceeded 576 million yuan ($90.4 million) last year, up 21.2 percent year-on-year, accounted for the success. This allowed Livzon to compete with other global enterprises at a higher level and with a strong presence in the international industrial chain.

MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, located in the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone, received the Best International Vision Award. The company is a 50/50 joint venture between MTU Aero Engines and China Southern Air Holding and specializes in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of IAE V2500-A5 and CFMI CFM56-3, -5B and -7 engines.

Meanwhile, Zhuhai Hokai Medical Instruments was recognized as Most Worthy of Investment.

The 2017 Innovation Report on Pearl River Delta Enterprises was released during the awards ceremony, which was organized by the China Construction Bank (CCB) Fintech Innovation Center and Nanfang Daily Media Group.